Paraffin Oil as Pesticide: What Changes in 2026 for Farmers and Manufacturers

Key data

Manufacturers of plant protection products, distributors and farmers working with products containing paraffin oil have an immediate obligation: to review their national authorizations. The Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/870, in force since 21 April 2026, renews the approval of this active substance at European level, but the validity of each product on the Spanish market depends on the national authorization being updated in accordance with the new conditions.

Failing to act in time can have direct consequences: the regulation establishes that non-compliance with approval conditions may result in the withdrawal of affected products from the market.

What does this regulation establish?

Regulation 2026/870 renews the approval of paraffin oil (CAS 8042-47-5) as an active substance in plant protection products, within the framework of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009, which regulates the marketing of plant protection products in the European Union.

The renewal means that Member States may continue to authorize products containing this substance, but always subject to the specific conditions of use established by the new approval. It is not an unconditional automatic renewal: each national authorization must be reviewed and validated under the new framework.

Furthermore, the regulation amends Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 540/2011, which is the official list of active substances approved in the EU for use in plant protection products. This amendment updates the entry for paraffin oil in that list with the new approval conditions.

Economic and operational impact

The renewal of approval is good news for the sector: paraffin oil can continue to be marketed and used as an agricultural pesticide in the EU. However, the renewal is not cost-free in operational terms.

Manufacturers and distributors of plant protection products that include paraffin oil in their products must bear the cost of reviewing and, if necessary, updating their national authorizations. If a national authorization does not adapt to the new conditions of use, the product cannot remain on the market, which represents a direct loss of revenue and possible withdrawal costs.

For farmers, the operational risk is using a product that has lost its current authorization without knowing it. This can lead to problems during plant health inspections or in the marketing of their crops, especially in markets with strict traceability.

• Manufacturers: cost of reviewing and updating national authorization files.
• Distributors: risk of stock of products without current authorization that must be withdrawn.
• Farmers: risk of using unauthorized products with consequences in inspections and production certifications.

Who does it affect?

• Manufacturers of plant protection products that include paraffin oil (CAS 8042-47-5) in their composition.
• Distributors and marketers of plant protection products with this active substance on the Spanish market.
• Farmers who use pesticides containing paraffin oil in their operations.
• Competent plant health authorities, responsible for reviewing and updating national authorizations of affected products.

Practical example

A Spanish manufacturer of plant protection products has in its catalog an agricultural insecticide whose main active substance is paraffin oil (CAS 8042-47-5). Until now, that product had a valid national authorization under the previous European approval.

With the entry into force of Regulation 2026/870 on 21 April 2026, that manufacturer must review whether the specific conditions of use established by the new approval match those in its current national authorization. If there are discrepancies, it must initiate the update process with the competent plant health authority in Spain.

If it does not do so and continues to market the product without updated authorization, it exposes itself to the authorities ordering the withdrawal of that product from the market. A distributor that has stock of that product will also have to withdraw it, assuming the corresponding economic cost.

For its part, a farmer who buys that product without verifying that it has current authorization in Spain could find themselves using an unauthorized pesticide, with the implications that entails in plant health controls.

What should companies do now?

1. Identify affected products: review your own catalog to locate all plant protection products containing paraffin oil with CAS number 8042-47-5.
2. Verify current national authorizations: check with the competent plant health authority in Spain that the national authorizations of those products remain valid under the new conditions of Regulation 2026/870.
3. Update files if necessary: if the conditions of use have changed from the previous approval, initiate the process of updating the national authorization without delay.
4. Review distribution stock: distributors must verify that products in their inventory have current authorization to avoid having to bear withdrawal costs.
5. Inform farmer clients: communicate to end users the authorization status of the products they purchase, especially if there are changes in the conditions of use.
6. Consult the updated Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 540/2011: review the new entry for paraffin oil in the official list of approved active substances to know exactly the current conditions.